A New Low for CBS News

After more than 20 years of involvement in news and media, I have wearily come to expect outrageous bias, distortion and ax-grinding from the MSM (mainstream media). But this morning a report from CBS radio news managed to shock even me.

The report focused on SFC. Paul R. Smith who was to be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bush later today. Sergeant Smith displayed extraordinary heroism two years ago in Baghdad, Iraq?saving the lives of more than a hundred of his fellow soldiers and losing his life in the process.

Here's the steaming pile of journalism that came out of my car radio...

The female CBS reporter (didn't catch the name) was interviewing Sergeant Smith's 11-year old son, David. Her question to the little boy? "Does having President Bush award this medal make up for losing your Dad?"

Young David meekly replied, "I'd rather have my Dad back."

Of course he would. What a manipulative and dishonest question. What lazy reporting. What filth.

What the ilk of this CBS reporter would never think to ask is, "Are you proud of your father? Given that he gave his life serving his country and saving the lives of others, are you glad that he's being honored by the President of the United States?"

Or better yet, leave the poor, grieving kid alone rather than cynically using him to score cheap points against the hated Bush. But it seems that brand of decency and intellectual honesty is hard to come by in a CBS newsroom these days.